The 2015–16 Taça de Portugal was the 76th season of the Taça de Portugal, the premier knockout competition in Portuguese football. As of this season, it became also known as Taça de Portugal Placard due to sponsorship by sports betting game Placard.
The competition was contested by a total of 155 clubs – an increase of 20 clubs compared to the previous edition – including teams from the top-three tiers of the Portuguese football league system and representatives of the fourth-tier District leagues and cups. It began with the first-round matches on 5 September 2015 and concluded on 22 May 2016, with the final at the Estádio Nacional in Oeiras.
Making their second final appearance in two seasons, Braga defeated Porto 4–2 in a penalty shoot-out (following a 2–2 draw at the end of extra time to win the competition for the second time, 50 years after their first triumph in the 1965–66 edition. The title holders were Sporting CP, who were eliminated in the fifth round by Braga in a replay of the previous final.
Format As in the previous season, the competition format was organised in a knockout system consisting of seven rounds before the final match. For this season, the number of participating clubs increased from 135 to 155, to accommodate twice the number of teams from the District levels. The concept of repechage was introduced, meaning that teams eliminated in one round could still compete in later rounds, to provide an even number of teams necessary to avoid byes.
A total of 118 teams entered the tournament in the first round, 78 competing in the third-tier Campeonato de Portugal and 40 representatives from the District Football Associations. In the second round, the previous round winners were joined by the 19 teams competing in the second-tier LigaPro. In the third round, the 18 top-tier Primeira Liga teams entered the competition for the first time, playing against the 46 winners of the second round. In both second and third rounds, teams from higher tiers played away against teams from lower tiers; after the third round, the draw had no restrictions.
Unlike the earlier one-legged rounds, the semi-finals are played as two-legged ties, with home and away matches. The final is played as a one-off match at a neutral venue, traditionally the Estádio Nacional in Oeiras.
Round Teamsremaining Teamsinvolved Teams from theprevious round New teamsin this round Leagues entering in this round (tier level) First round 155 118 none 118 Campeonato de Portugal (3rd)District Football Associations (4th) Second round 110 92 19 LigaPro (2nd) Third round 64 64 46 18 Primeira Liga (1st) Fourth round 32 32 32 none none Fifth round 16 16 16 none none Quarter-finals 8 8 8 none none Semi-finals 4 4 4 none none Final 2 2 2 none none
Teams A total of 155 teams competing in the top-four tiers of Portuguese football plus the winners (or losing finalists) of the District Football Association Cups were considered eligible by the Portuguese Football Federation to participate in the competition:
2015–16 Taça de Portugal teams Primeira Liga (18 teams) Académica Arouca Belenenses Benfica Boavista Braga
Estoril Marítimo Moreirense Nacional Paços de Ferreira Porto
Rio Ave Sporting CP Tondela União da Madeira Vitória de Guimarães Vitória de Setúbal LigaPro (19 teams) Académico de Viseu Atlético CP Chaves Desportivo das Aves Famalicão Farense Feirense
Freamunde Gil Vicente Leixões Mafra Olhanense Oliveirense
Oriental Penafiel Portimonense Santa Clara Sporting da Covilhã Varzim Campeonato de Portugal (78 teams)
Series A (9 teams) Argozelo Bragança Camacha Limianos Mirandela Neves Pedras Salgadas Vianense Vilaverdense
Series B (9 teams) AD Oliveirense Arões Fafe Felgueiras 1932 Mondinense São Martinho Torcatense Trofense Vizela
Series C (10 teams) Amarante Cinfães Coimbrões Gondomar Pedras Rubras Salgueiros Sobrado Sousense Tirsense Vila Real
Series D (10 teams) Anadia Bustelo Cesarense Estarreja Gafanha Lusitânia de Lourosa Lusitano de Vildemoinhos Mortágua Oliveira de Frades Sanjoanense
Series E (10 teams) Académica – SF AD Nogueirense Angrense Oliveira do Hospital Operário Pampilhosa Praiense Sabugal Sporting Ideal Tourizense
Series F (10 teams) Águias do Moradal Alcanenense Benfica e Castelo Branco Caldas Crato Naval 1º de Maio Peniche Sertanense União de Leiria Vitória de Sernache
Series G (10 teams) 1º de Dezembro Atlético da Malveira Casa Pia Coruchense Eléctrico Loures Real Sacavenense Sintrense Torreense
Series H (10 teams) Almancilense Atlético de Reguengos Barreirense Castrense Cova da Piedade Juventude de Évora Louletano Lusitano VRSA Moura Pinhalnovense District Football Associations (40 teams) Algarve FA: Lagoa (C) & Moncarapachense (L) Angra do Heroísmo FA: None Aveiro FA: São Roque (F) & Recreio de Águeda (L) Beja FA: Praia de Milfontes (C) & Vasco da Gama da Vidigueira (L) Braga FA: Amares (C) & Maria da Fonte (L) Bragança FA: Águia de Vimioso (C) & Torre de Moncorvo (L) Castelo Branco FA: Alcains (C) & Estação (L) Coimbra FA: Vigor da Mocidade (C) & União de Gavinhos (L) Évora FA: Redondense (F) & Sporting de Viana do Alentejo (L) Guarda FA: Trancoso (F) & Manteigas (L) Horta FA: Fayal (C) Leiria FA: Ginásio de Alcobaça (F) & Leiria e Marrazes (L) Lisboa FA: Povoense (C) & Vilafranquense (L) Madeira FA: Pontassolense (C) Ponta Delgada FA: Mira Mar (C) Portalegre FA: Mosteirense (F) & Gavionenses (L) Porto FA: Oliveira do Douro (C) & Rio Tinto (L) Santarém FA: Amiense (F) & União de Tomar (L) Setúbal FA: Alcochetense (C) & Amora (L) Viana do Castelo FA: Vitorino dos Piães (F) & Atlético dos Arcos (L) Vila Real FA: Montalegre (C) & Régua (L) Viseu FA: Carregal do Sal (C) & Penalva do Castelo (L) Azores League: Rabo de Peixe (L)
C – Cup winner; F – Cup finalist; L – League spot.
Schedule All draws are held at the FPF headquarters in Lisbon. Match kick-off times are in WET (UTC+0) from the fourth round to the semi-finals, and in WEST (UTC+1) during the rest of the competition.
Round Draw date Main date(s) Fixtures Teams Prize money First round 31 July 2015 5–6 September 2015 59 155 → 110 €2,000 Second round 14 September 2015 26–27 September 2015 46 110 → 64 €3,000 Third round 1 October 2015 17–18 October 2015 32 64 → 32 €4,000 Fourth round 23 October 2015 21–22 November 2015 16 32 → 16 €5,000 Fifth round 26 November 2015 15–17 December 2015 8 16 → 8 €7,500 Quarter-finals21 December 2015 12–14 January 2016 4 8 → 4 €10,000 Semi-finals 2–4 February 2016 (1st leg) 1–3 March 2016 (2nd leg) 4 4 → 2 €15,000 Final 22 May 2016 1 2 → 1 €300,000 (winner)€150,000 (runner-up)
First round A total of 118 teams from the Campeonato de Portugal (CP) and the District Football Associations (D) entered the first round. The draw took place on Friday, 31 July 2015, at 11:00 WEST. The teams were divided into eight groups of 14 or 16 teams according to geographic criteria. Matches were played on 5, 6, 16 and 23 September 2015.
+ Number of teams per tier entering this round Primeira Liga LigaPro Campeonato de Portugal District FAs Total Fixtures
Series A Torcatense (CP) 3–3 Maria da Fonte (D) Águia de Vimioso (D) 3–3 Amares (D) Atlético dos Arcos (D) 0–0 Limianos (CP) Vianense (CP) 1–0 Neves (CP) Montalegre (D) 1–0 Vitorino dos Piães (D) Pontassolense (D) 0–4 Argozelo (CP) Vilaverdense (CP) 1–2 Bragança (CP) Camacha (CP) 2–1 Pedras Salgadas (CP)
Series B São Martinho (CP) 2–0 Arões (CP) Fafe (CP) 1–0 Vizela (CP) Mondinense (CP) 3–2 Mirandela (CP) Tirsense (CP) 0–0 Felgueiras 1932 (CP) Vila Real (CP) 2–3 Amarante (CP) Pedras Rubras (CP) 1–0 AD Oliveirense (CP) Trofense (CP) 1–0 Sobrado (CP)
Series C Sanjoanense (CP) 4–1 Sousense (CP) Gondomar (CP) 2–1 Coimbrões (CP) Bustelo (CP) 0–1 Lusitânia de Lourosa (CP) Cinfães (CP) 0–1 Salgueiros (CP) Régua (D) 1–3 Rio Tinto (D) São Roque (D) 1–2 Torre de Moncorvo (D) Oliveira do Douro (D) 4–3 Cesarense (CP)
Series D Lusitano de Vildemoinhos (CP) 2–0 Gafanha (CP) Estarreja (CP) 5–2 Carregal do Sal (D) Tourizense (CP) 1–2 Oliveira do Hospital (CP) Oliveira de Frades (CP) 4–0 Manteigas (D) Recreio de Águeda (D) 4–0 Trancoso (D) Anadia (CP) 5–3 Sabugal (CP) Penalva do Castelo (D) 2–3 Mortágua (CP)
Series E Alcains (D) 0–1 Operário (CP) Rabo de Peixe (D) 1–4 União de Gavinhos (D) Águias do Moradal (CP) 6–1 Fayal (D) Sporting Ideal (CP) 3–0 Vigor da Mocidade (D) Pampilhosa (CP) 7–0 Estação (D) Praiense (CP) 7–0 Mira Mar (D) AD Nogueirense (CP) 1–3 Naval 1º de Maio (CP) Angrense (CP) 2–1 Académica – SF (CP)
Series F Alcanenense (CP) 2–1 Eléctrico (CP) Peniche (CP) 1–2 Caldas (CP) Vitória de Sernache (CP) 1–2 Crato (CP) Benfica e Castelo Branco (CP) 9–0 Amiense (D) Leiria e Marrazes (D) 0–1 Ginásio de Alcobaça (D) União de Tomar (D) 0–7 União de Leiria (CP) Sertanense (CP) 4–0 Gavionenses (D)
Series G Alcochetense (D) 0–1 Loures (CP) Atlético da Malveira (CP) 5–2 Barreirense (CP) Mosteirense (D) 1–4 1º de Dezembro (CP) Redondense (D) 0–2 Sacavenense (CP) Real (CP) 3–1 Sintrense (CP) Cova da Piedade (CP) 1–0 Torreense (CP) Coruchense (CP) 2–1 Povoense (D) Casa Pia (CP) 1–3 Vilafranquense (D)
Series H Praia de Milfontes (D) 2–3 Sporting de Viana do Alentejo (D) Pinhalnovense (CP) 2–1 Atlético de Reguengos (CP) Almancilense (CP) 0–1 Moura (CP) Lagoa (D) 1–1 Amora (D) Juventude de Évora (CP) 0–5 Louletano (CP) Castrense (CP) 2–0 Vasco da Gama da Vidigueira (D) Lusitano VRSA (CP) 2–0 Moncarapachense (D)
Second round A total of 92 teams participated in the second round, comprising the 59 winners of the previous round, the 19 non-reserve teams competing in the 2015–16 LigaPro (II), and 14 teams randomly drawn from among the first-round losers (repechage). The draw took place on Monday, 14 September 2015, at 11:00 WEST. Matches were played on 26–27 September and 8 October 2015. According to the new competition regulations, Segunda Liga sides played their matches away against lower division opponents.
+ Number of teams per tier entering this round Primeira Liga LigaPro Campeonato de Portugal District FAs Total
Repechage The following 14 first-round losing teams were selected to compete in the second round:
Alcochetense (D) Almancilense (CP) Amiense (D) Bustelo (CP) Casa Pia (CP) Coimbrões (CP) Gafanha (CP) Leiria e Marrazes (D) Limianos (CP) Manteigas (D) Mosteirense (D) Sabugal (CP) São Roque (D) Vitorino dos Piães (D)
Fixtures
Third round A total of 64 teams participated in the third round, which included the 46 winners of the previous round and the 18 teams competing in the 2015–16 Primeira Liga (I). The draw took place on Thursday, 1 October 2015, at 12:00 WEST. Matches were played on 16–18 October 2015. Similarly to what occurred with Segunda Liga teams in the previous round, Primeira Liga sides played their matches away against lower division teams.
+ Number of teams per tier entering this round Primeira Liga LigaPro Campeonato de Portugal District FAs Total
Fixtures
Fourth round A total of 32 teams participated in the fourth round, all of which had advanced from the previous round. The draw took place on Friday, 23 October 2015, at 12:00 WEST, and unlike previous rounds, was free of restrictions. Matches were played on 20–22 November 2015.
+ Number of teams per tier entering this round Primeira Liga LigaPro Campeonato de Portugal District FAs Total
Fixtures
Fifth round A total of 16 teams participated in the fifth round, all of which had advanced from the previous round. The draw took place on Thursday, 26 November 2015, at 11:00 WET. Matches were played on 15–17 December 2015.
+ Number of teams per tier entering this round Primeira Liga LigaPro Campeonato de Portugal District FAs Total
Fixtures
Quarter-finals